Synonyms of wreck

wreck 1 of 2

noun

ˈrek 

1

as in wreckage

the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed

found the wreck of the ship lying on the floor of the ocean

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wreckage
• debris
• rubble
• ruins
• remains
• remnant
• ashes
• detritus
• residue
• flotsam
• junk
• dust
• garbage
• refuse
• litter
• leavings
• scrap
• jetsam
• trash
• rubbish
• waste
• chaff
• dross
• deadwood
• riffraff

2

as in wrecking

the destruction or loss of a ship

the wreck cost the insurance company millions of dollars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wrecking
• sinking
• shipwreck
• wreckage
• shipwrecking
• stranding
• beaching
• foundering
• grounding
• scuttling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recovery
• salvage
• salvaging

3

as in collision

the violent coming together of two bodies into destructive contact

a dangerous stretch of roadway that has been the scene of numerous car wrecks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• collision
• crash
• accident
• smashup
• concussion
• crack-up
• smash
• destruction
• pileup
• ruin
• demolishment

wreck

2 of 2

verb

1

as in to scuttle

to cause irreparable damage to (a ship) by running aground or sinking

many an unwary captain has wrecked his ship on the shoals that surround the island

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scuttle
• shipwreck
• strand
• beach
• founder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• recover
• salvage

2

as in to ruin

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of

most of the furniture on the ground floor was wrecked by the floodwaters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruin
• destroy
• demolish
• shatter
• devastate
• smash
• damage
• overcome
• waste
• desolate
• annihilate
• extinguish
• tear down
• total
• erode
• ravage
• cripple
• decimate
• mar
• vaporize
• wrack
• pull down
• pulverize
• cream
• defeat
• raze
• kill
• dismantle
• rub out
• blast
• break
• crush
• nuke
• injure
• best
• remove
• do in
• spoil
• subdue
• harm
• disintegrate
• deteriorate
• impair
• conquer
• havoc
• prevail (over)
• triumph (over)
• master
• rout
• disfigure
• win (against)
• lick
• trim
• dynamite
• surmount
• scotch
• mutilate
• thrash
• sweep (away)
• blow up
• dissolve
• whip
• wear (away)
• vitiate
• deface
• mangle
• obliterate
• eradicate
• wash out
• wipe out
• slaughter
• sack
• beat
• scour
• undo
• plunder
• gut
• loot
• disassemble
• fell
• take down
• blot out
• massacre
• clobber
• assassinate
• murder
• cut down
• unmake
• overbear
• expunge
• despoil
• extirpate
• exterminate
• trounce
• liquidate
• slay
• kill off
• overmatch
• pillage
• trash
• skunk
• dilapidate
• vandalize
• drub
• wallop
• trample
• snuff (out)
• efface
• butcher
• take out
• dispatch
• stamp (out)
• unbuild
• mow (down)
• root (out)
• execute
• zap

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• build
• set up
• construct
• repair
• raise
• fix
• rear
• put up
• create
• erect
• patch
• mend
• make
• found
• produce
• shape
• form
• manufacture
• protect
• invent
• assemble
• save
• establish
• organize
• revamp
• preserve
• mold
• forge
• constitute
• bring about
• frame
• institute
• recondition
• fashion
• rebuild
• fabricate
• doctor
• restore
• reconstruct
• conserve
• father
• renovate
• remodel

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wreck

Noun

And now the discovery of this wreck could offer new hope for families who lost loved ones in other ocean crashes like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 that disappeared 12 years ago with 269 people aboard. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

The most egregious case is Sturgis’ Ru, who transforms over the course of the play from a jittery wreck into a vengeful, plaintive monster. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Verb

While a few bad nights of sleep won’t wreck your health, of course, making a habit of it could have real consequences. — Brian Mastroianni, Health, 20 July 2026

But in recent history, the Spanish national soccer team has repeatedly wrecked the plans of dreamers and screenwriters. — Filip Bondy, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026

Phrases Containing wreck

• nervous wreck